EL Shut Out by St. Dom’s in Playoffs

Last time the Edward Little High School and Saint Dominic Academy hockey teams battled, the outcome wasn’t as important. However, this time around the stakes were huge. The winner of this game would progress to the Eastern Maine Title championship game, against Lewiston, and the other team would pack their skates away until next year.

On Valentine’s Day, the first time the Red Eddies and Saints met, both teams battled for four periods, until St. Dom’s buried an overtime goal for a 4-3 victory.

The second time around, the game wasn’t even close, and the Eddies lost 0-4.

“I think we played well,” said sophomore Austin Aube. “Everyone worked hard because we knew it could be the last game of the season.”

“We wanted to prove that we can compete with a team that recruits players,” said senior Cade Chapman.

The Red Eddies controlled the flow of the game during the first period. They kept the score at a minimum, 1-0 St. Dom’s. St. Dom’s scored their first goal during a powerplay due to an interference call on EL player Dixon Dilodovico with 4:48 left in the first period and St. Dom’s capitalized on the man advantage. Gavin Bates scored instantly with a blast that deflected in off the pipe of Edward Little’s goalie Devin Dumont.

The rest of the first period was scoreless.

Both teams started the second period full strength. About 2 minutes into the second period, the Saints come out looking to extend the lead, which is what Austin Roy would do. Roy ripped a shot from the circle that got past Dumont, making the score 2-0 and giving St. Dom’s the momentum they needed to take control of the game.

“Being down a defensemen was hard, but we fought till the very end” said senior Zachary Gosselin.

Brad Berube, senior, tagged another goal on the board during the second period, making it 3-0. Berube leads the Saints in goals with 16 this season.

St. Dom’s would pick up another power play goal in the third period, putting the Saints up 4-0.

Dumont finished the game with 23 saves out of 27 shots.

“[Dumont’s] a good goaltender,” said Gosselin. “He tracks the puck well and when we need him he’s there. He came up big in big games.”

Edward Little blasted 25 shots at St. Dom’s goalie, Kyle Welsh, who ended the night with a shut out.

Top seeded St.Doms (16-2-1) were on the sheet 14 times for penalties, while Edward Little, fifth seed (9-9-0) were marked down with 12 penalties.

This was the first time the Red Eddies have made it to the second round of playoffs in nine years.

“We had our ups and downs but we came together as a family and pulled off a lot of big wins and close games,” said Chapman.